Carmel Convent, Bokaro Thermal
In June 1954 while the Patna community was enjoying a holiday at Bokaro Thermal, the then DVC chief engineer, AN Lahri along with Fr. Verbraken SJ and an American Officer Mr Chapmen made an appealing request to Mother Theodosia to open an English medium school for the DVC employees’ children at Bokaro Thermal. The Superior General, Mother Sylvia was informed. Permission was obtained immediately accepting the conditions laid down by the D.V.C. Sister Hilda (Superior) along with Sisters Ethelreda, Leonora, Basilla, Colette and Fidelia from Patna arrived at Bokaro. Mother Theodosia together with her sisters came along to help in the layout of the foundation. Mr. Chapman was very hospitable, he provided the sisters with food and arranged for a thanksgiving Mass at his residence.
It was an uphill work for the sisters at the start to live and teach in tents facing the hardships in storm and rain where the tents were blown off and teaching was done under the trees. The sisters put up with all kinds of problems the uneven terrain the lack of comfort as well as bore up with excessive heat and cold. The Church was established with a gift of an altar from the Jesuit Fathers of Hazaribag. Fr. Vebraken reserved the Eucharist and sisters enjoyed spiritual strength from Christ. In 1956 the legal agreement was signed between the Apostolic Carmel and the D.V.C. The DVC gave 15 acres of land to the convent on lease for 99 years at Rs 15 per year.
On 3 March the CCL invited Carmel sisters to start a school at Kargali, 13 miles away from Bokaro. The sisters accepted the invitation and started the school by walking a long way due to lack of conveyance through the hilly roads. After facing a lot of inconvenience of space and a proper Convent for nearly 48 years a new residence for sisters was constructed and blessed by Bishop Charles Soreng, S.J, on 16 July, 2002
In 2005, the Golden Jubilee was celebrated. All the parishioners along with the DVC, officials gathered to thank God for His blessings of 50 golden years. Bishop Charles Soreng S.J, was the main celebrant at the thanksgiving Mass.
The sisters ran from pillar to post for the affiliation of the school to the ICSE and got permanent affiliation in June, 2013. Ever since, the school has made all round progress. In 2014, Diamond Jubilee was celebrated when Bishop Anand Jojo blessed the spacious science block having a hall and class rooms on the 2nd and 3rd storey.
Carmel English medium and Hindi medium schools function in the same campus. Students from the nearby areas as well as from various distances study in these schools. Carmel High School Hindi medium is recognized by the Jharkhand Board and the poor receive good and an all round education.
We thank God for His blessings received for the past 60 years. His work for the poor will continue in this coal belt of Bokaro Thermal.